Football’s Black Coalition – launched by coaches to combat racism in the game

 

A new organisation, Football’s Black Coalition (FBC), has been launched by black coaches to lobby governing bodies in football to combat racism in the game. 

The FBC has been launched after gathering momentum and numbers quickly over the summer with current and former players offering support.

It is an independent body and plans to take a more hardline stance than anti-racism watchdogs such as Kick It Out, who are funded by stakeholders in football. 

Football’s Black Coalition is setting out to lobby the authorities to better combat racism

There are currently no black decision makers at the top of the game in the Premier League, EFL and FA in addition to a dearth of black managers and referees. 

A huge proportion of top players in the world are black but that is not reflected in the important decision-making positions elsewhere in the sport.  

Creation of the FCB could create a pathway for a black players’ union, according to the Mirror, with top stars helping the push to end discrimination and achieve equality at all levels of the sport while also helping prevent conscious and unconscious bias.  

Premier League sides are still taking a knee before games to bring awareness to the issue of racism, institutional and otherwise. 

But in terms of actual practical changes in policy or decision-making, little has been done and last month Les Ferdinand, QPR technical director, made that point. 

Kiko Casilla was banned for eight matches after being found guilty of racial abuse

He said: ‘The message has been lost. It is now not dissimilar to a fancy hashtag or a nice pin badge.

‘Taking the knee will not bring about change in the game – actions will.’

And the launch of the FBC comes after a raft of incidents of racism in the game over the past 12 months. 

In July, Crystal Palace star Wilfried Zaha shared images of racist abuse he’d received on social media with Ian Wright and Gabby Agbonlahor also subjected to the same treatment online back in March.  

Leeds goalkeeper Kiko Casilla was found guilty of racially abusing Charlton striker Jonathan Leko last season, by calling him a ‘f****** n*****’. 

After the incident, neither Leeds or their goalkeeper offered an apology. 

Tyrone Mings (centre) was the subject of the racist chanting on his international debut

The 33-year-old Spaniard was banned for eight matches at the start of March following an incident which took place during a Championship match at the Valley.

He was also given a hefty £60,000 fine after being found guilty. 

There have been monkey chants at games both internationally and in the Premier League and Bulgaria were ordered to play two games behind closed doors and fined £65,000 for the shocking racist abuse of black England players in a Euro 2020 qualifier last year. 

Clearly significant changes need to be made and the FBC has been launched with that goal at the forefront of their agenda.